However, voter turnout in the race was down 73 percent from recent years. From 2008 to 2016, elections in District 10 averaged 85,090 votes. Last Tuesday, only 22,273 votes were cast. The extremely low turnout makes it difficult to extrapolate larger trends from this election.

The turnout decline is notable given that the special election garnered national attention. Outside groups provided contributions and resources to both the Democratic and Republican candidates.

The special election was called because Harsdorf was appointed to a state cabinet position.

Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology. Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.

Scott Rasmussen is founder and president of the Rasmussen Media Group. He is the author of "Mad as Hell: How the Tea Party Movement Is Fundamentally Remaking Our Two-Party System," "In Search of Self-Governance," and "The People’s Money: How Voters Will Balance the Budget and Eliminate the Federal Debt." Read more reports from Scott Rasmussen — Click Here Now.